questionable

[ kwes-chuh-nuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. of doubtful propriety, honesty, morality, respectability, etc.:

   questionable activities; in questionable taste.

   Antonyms: certain

2. open to question or dispute; doubtful or uncertain:

   a statement of questionable accuracy.

   Synonyms: controvertible, dubious, dubitable, disputable, debatable

3. open to question as to being of the nature or value suggested:

   a questionable privilege.

questionable

/ ˈkwɛstʃənəbəl /

adjective

1. (esp of a person's morality or honesty) admitting of some doubt; dubious
2. of disputable value or authority

   a questionable text

Derived Forms

• ˈquestionably, adverb
• ˈquestionableness, noun

Other Words From

• question·a·ble·ness question·a·bili·ty noun
• question·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of questionable¹

First recorded in 1580–90; question + -able

Example Sentences

More questionable, however, is whether UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego will still give an additional 902 California students highly coveted seats in place of out-of-state and international students if the state cuts back funding that offsets the loss of the higher tuition that nonresidents pay.

From Los Angeles Times

But it’s pretty rich for them to be soliciting donations while some of the … more questionable decisions the organization made with all of that money come to light.

From Slate

Trump had no experience in governance going into the 2016 election, and 34 felony convictions headed into 2024, with a questionable track record on everything from pandemic deaths to the economy.

From Los Angeles Times

The Chargers can submit questionable plays to the NFL for review, Harbaugh said.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite Trump’s many questionable comments about race over the years, the past two Trump presidential bids have been marked by racial depolarization—and have been replaced with sharp separation in voting patterns along the lines of gender and college education.

From Slate

Related Words

• ambiguous
• arguable
• controversial
• debatable
• dubious
• problematic
• suspicious
• unproven
• vague